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Russia wants the Vatican to "take a more active role" in advocating for what it described as freedom of religion in Ukraine, specifically for members of the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Kremlin said in a statement on June 4 following recent diplomatic contacts.
Russia's war and occupation of large swaths of Ukraine have led to hundreds of churches being damaged or destroyed, dozens of priests killed or kidnapped, and entire religious groups that don't conform to Moscow's brand of Orthodoxy being banned - all while promoting the Kremlin-controlled Russian Orthodox Church.
Sixty-seven clergy members of various faiths have been killed between the start of Russia's all-out war in 2022 and February 2025, the Foreign Ministry said in April, citing the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance.
Moscow has also been suppressing independent Ukrainian churches and other religions, including the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Roman Catholic Church, Protestant and Muslim groups, and Jehovah's Witnesses, according to Ukrainian officials.
Putin also noted that "that the Kyiv regime is banking on escalating the conflict and is carrying out sabotage against civilian infrastructure sites on Russian territory," the statement read.
The Kremlin also expressed gratitude to the Pope for the Vatican's readiness to assist in resolving what it called the "crisis" (referring to Russia's war against Ukraine) particularly on humanitarian issues handled "on a depoliticised basis."
Putin also reportedly noted a progress in recent direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials regarding prisoner exchanges and the return of fallen soldiers' bodies.
Pope Leo XIV urged Russia to make "a gesture that would favor peace " during the call, according to Vatican News.
Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, said the Pope emphasized "the importance of dialogue" and encouraged Moscow to support prisoner exchanges and the return of fallen soldiers' remains.
The Vatican said the Pope and Putin also discussed ongoing humanitarian efforts led by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the archbishop of Bologna and papal envoy for Ukraine.
The pontiff reportedly expressed hope that shared Christian values could help promote peace, defend life, and support genuine religious freedom.
The Kyiv Independent's latest documentary "No God but Theirs" examines the systematic persecution of Ukrainian Christians in Melitopol — a city in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Oblast, occupied by Russia since February 2022.
The film details how both Protestant and Catholic churches were banned and dispossessed of all property by occupying Russian forces. Clergy were either deported or compelled to flee under threat, while others were falsely accused by Russian propaganda of storing weapons and ammunition. As a result, many members of the religious community were forced to practice their faith in secrecy.
The Kyiv Independent spoke with four Christian leaders from Melitopol: Bishop Dmytro Bodyu of the Pentecostal Church "Word of Life," Father Oleksandr Bohomaz of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and Pastors Mykhailo Brytsyn and Ihor Ivashchuk of the Baptist Church "Grace" whose testimonies provide new details of Russia's targeted repression of Ukrainian Christians.
Watch more here:
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